WAVERLY LONG

I'm a first-year at Northwestern University studying journalism and violin performance. I graduated from Palo Alto High School (Paly) in 2019. During my time at Paly, I served as editor-in-chief of The Campanile, Paly's student-run newspaper. My time on The Campanile influenced my life in several ways----it raised my awareness of key issues such as mental health and socioeconomic disparity, made me a stronger writer, helped me develop a critical eye, taught me about collaboration, and showed me the power of student voices.

 

Aside from journalism, I am also passionate about creative writing and music.​ I've played violin for 12 years and served as concertmaster of Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. I'm also the former co-founder and co-president of Paly Chamber Musicians, a school organization dedicated to chamber music. In 2018, I studied creative writing at the California State Summer School of the Arts.

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After graduating from Paly, I took a gap year dedicated to music, writing, travel, and work. I spent three months traveling solo in Singapore, Scotland, and England. Aside from exploring new places, I focused on violin and writing. After traveling, I settled down in Boston, where I studied violin, worked as a florist at a local flower shop and as a retail sales associate at Athleta, tutored students in English and creative writing, studied violin with Peter Zazofsky at Boston University and explored the city.

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For more information about my work experience and accomplishments, check out my résumé.​